Salutations all. Does anyone know anything about the illusion "Universal Nut"? Was Tannen the original manufacturer? Year of release? Good or bad effect? All input or feedback would be appreciated & welcomed. Thank you.

Yes. But it's not "an illusion" in the classical sense of the word.

No.

Not sure, somewhere around 1970, maybe a bit earlier.

No effect is inherently good or bad.

Thank you for the useful info Bill. It helps.

Hi Wank

I think it is a good close-up effect because it has a surprise finish.

Julie

Hi Julie. Good point. For me, it is a lesser known hidden gem & a true blast from the past. Just recently scored a brand new, brass version. I routine it in with other metal items, such as Johnson's brass Ball & Tube, Viking's chrome Ball & Bolt, Viking's aluminum Drop-Out Outdone, etc.

Good evening, Wank> I'll bet you'd positively LOVE Viking's U235 (a remake of an olde Thayer mystery).

Julie

Salutations Julie. That's some mad skills ya have on knowing your magic history. Well done! I never even knew about Thayer's U-235 until your post. Thanx for that. I've always used Tenyo's 1984 "The Alpha Tunnel," by Shigeru Sugawara. A very similar illusion in effect. Thayer's U-235 easily pre-dates Tenyo's variant. The Viking homage version visibly appears to be a class act. Do you own a copy?

Hi Wank> yes, I acquired one of the first U235 sets sold by George Robinson @ Viking/CW.

Julie

Find here a video of the U235:

http://www.youtube.com/user/cormatches?f......5GDZHjRo

Thanx for that Magic Patagonia. I live out in the boonies, so the only service available is dial-up. The 54 second download took forever, but I'm glad to report it was well worth it. Outstanding routine. All natural moves. Great performance. Beautiful props. Just perfect! Can I ask if that was you in the video? Well done.

Thanks for tour words...Yes, all the videos on this channel are made by me...I like to make demo videos of uncommon magical apparatus...

The original "Universal Nut" was brass. The aluminum version was manufactured in or near Dallas, was larger than the brass version and had a tendency to pop apart if dropped. The problem was switching in the unprepared one.

It's basically a puzzle more than a trick or illusion. It would be a good interlude in a routine with brasses. I would do the switchout after the trick was over, but I wouldn't hand the bolt to the spectators. I would place it aside with the nut on it. Let them think they could handle it. Then, if your routine isn't strong enough to support continuous transitions, allow them to pick it up.

Thank you for the additional feedback, tips & research history, Bill. I truly appreciate your continued efforts on this one. Please excuse my very tardy reply...I was unaware of your most recent post.

Here you can see a video demo of the Universal Nut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Mhi8WZMQ7g

Good job on the demo Magic Patagonia & thank you. It's a real puzzler for sure. We appear to be running parallel in the type of effects we both enjoy. Thinkin' I'll PM you in the near future with a list of novel effects for your perusal.

Cheers,
Glenn

Sure Glenn....I'll keep waiting for that list!